Unfortunately, SA has not signed the CAT’s Optional Protocol. Therefore, the U.N. Committee Against Torture only has quasi-judicial authority to review the State and determine whether there was a violation. Review often has strong political consequences, but the administrative process only occurs every four years. In this case, the review process is not the best enforcement mechanism because SA’s last report was in 2016, so the country will not be obligated to report again until 2020.

Under CAT, SA and its actors can face state and individual responsibility for the death of Jamal Khashoggi; however, the legal strategy will depend on the international community’s willingness to prosecute and the evidence uncovered in the coming weeks.